Still There
by MoonlightSpirit
Summary: Jeremy once told Elena that even when compelled the pain is still there. What if - even after Damon compels her to forget - the feelings of his confession never leave her? Elena rushes to Damon, to tell him what should have been said so long ago.


**This fanfic was inspired by Nyah-Cullen's fanfic 'A Kind of Sickness'. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries.**

_Even if I can't remember why, I still feel empty, alone. Making me forget won't fix it. _– **Jeremy Gilbert**

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I sat, shivering slightly from the cool air blowing through the open window. Weird, I could have sworn I closed it.

I felt…odd. My stomach was doing somersaults and my heart was racing. My fingers touched the cool metal of my vervain necklace. Wait…hadn't I lost that when Elijah ripped it off of me?

But the oddest thing of all? I couldn't stop thinking of Damon. The feelings for him that I have had buried for so long were suddenly at the surface fully exposed.

Something is wrong. I remember stepping out the bathroom, wondering what I was going to do without my necklace…then standing in the middle of my room, the necklace around my neck. And now I had the strongest urge to run to Damon. To throw myself into his arms and confess my love for him. After keeping these feelings caged up for so long, why are they suddenly free and ravaging my heart and mind?

Suddenly, I remembered something Jeremy had said. "_Even if I can't remember why, I still feel empty, alone. Making me forget won't fix it._" He had said that after finding out that I had Damon compel him to forget about Vicky. But even though his memory of Vicky being a vampire was gone, the pain of losing her never ebbed away.

Without even getting changed, I raced downstairs, in my pajamas and barefoot. I got into my car and drove to the boarding house.

As I pulled up to the house, I prayed Stefan was out hunting. This was something I'd prefer to do without him there.

I got out of the car and walked into the boarding house. Damon was in the living room, staring into the fireplace, a glass of bourbon in his hand. He turned around when I walked into the living.

"Elena," he said surprised, "What are you doing here? In your pajamas no less, it's freezing outside, come here." Damon walked over to me and steered me onto the couch near the fireplace.

"Why did you do it?" I asked, feeling tears burn in my eyes. Damon's brow furrowed.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"Y-You compelled me," I stammered as tears threatened to fall.

"No I didn't," Damon said. And suddenly, I was angry at him. He was lying. I knew it. I don't know how, but I knew with every fiber of my being that he was lying.

"Yes you did Damon!" I nearly shouted, tears spilling down my cheeks, "I remember…walking out the bathroom wondering what to do since my necklace was gone…then suddenly it was there around my neck and I have no idea how it got there. And Damon, I kept…thinking about you. About how much I…" my voice softened as I looked into his crystal blue eyes and whispered, "How much I love you." I bit my bottom lip in futile attempt to stop crying.

"Jeremy once told me that even when someone is compel someone," I said softly, "The feelings are still there. You made him forget about Vicky becoming a vampire and dying, but for him the pain of losing her was still there. It never went away. Damon, I don't know what you made me forget, but whatever it was, I can still feel it inside." Damon just stared at me with those too blue eyes and I waited anxiously for him say something.

"Say it again," he finally murmured.

"What?" I asked curiously.

"You love me," he said, "Tell me again." I took his face in my hands and fixed my eyes onto his, "I love you Damon Salvatore." Damon took a deep shuddering breath, closing his eyes.

"But you can't," he said, "I don't deserve you Elena. Stefan, he-" I cut Damon off the only way I could think of. Pressing my lips hard against his. Damon seemed surprised at first. Hi hands gripped my arms, like he was going to pull me away. But he gave in, wrapping his arms around my waist and kissing my back with such vigor and emotion that every nerve in my body seemed to be humming from the passion he put into the kiss. I wrapped my arms tight around his neck, tangling my hands in his black hair.

I pulled back slightly, just enough to see Damon's face.

"What exactly did you compel me to forget?" I asked. By the look on Damon's face, I could tell he was battling with himself on whether or not to tell me. The will to seemed to win.

"I told you I love you," he said, brushing my hair out of my face and cupping my cheek in his hand, "But Stefan deserves you more than I do. I just had to let you know, but I couldn't let you remember." I struggled between the decision to either kiss him of punch him. But – for the first time since I've known him – Damon had done something…humble. And I could tell from the look on his face that it had killed him to make me forget, but he did it anyway.

"Damon," I whispered softly, a small smile on my face, "For once you do something humble…and I have half a mind to knock you over the head for doing it." Damon chuckled softly.

"Wrong time to be noble?" he asked with a smirk. I nodded, truly smiling for the first time in a long while.

**So there's **_**Still There**_**. I hope you liked it! Please Review!**


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